


Phoenix, Caged

by TheQuietWings



Category: Cinderella (Fairy Tale), Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms, Jack and the Beanstalk (Fairy Tale), Rapunzel (Fairy Tale)
Genre: Blanket Permission, Fairy Tale Retellings, Feminist Themes, Figurative Language, Fire, Freeform, Gen, I don't know what to tag this, I'm Sorry, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Misgendering, Nonbinary Character, Other, Poetry, Revisionist Fairy Tale, Storytelling, There's some light feminism in there, Why Did I Write This?, as in the narrator never uses pronouns for Cinderella, but just by nameless characters and only once, so technically, sure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26204167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheQuietWings/pseuds/TheQuietWings
Summary: There was Rapunzel in a tower.There was Jack with a cow.There was Cinderella by the fireplace.Or, I rewrote three fairy tales into one poem, enjoy.
Relationships: Cinderella/Rapunzel (Fairy Tales)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 2





	Phoenix, Caged

Once upon a time

There was a girl

high

high

in

a

tower

up

and

up

it

goes

they

say

it

was

built

by

a

clever

witch

No one has ever seen the top of the tower.

No one has ever climbed it.

No one has ever seen the girl.

You wish someone had.

  
  


Once upon a time

There was a boy

“Take the cow, sell the cow, be mindful on your way”

A very good cow.

but cows are slow

“Beans grow fast! Your family will be rich!”

“They were rocks, Jack. You sold your cow for rocks.”

Hard work won’t make rocks grow.

  
  


Once upon a time

There is Cinderella

who sleeps like embers

whose hair is smudged with ashes

and everything one could own, singed

Cinderella is waiting.

  
  


Jack never climbed a beanstalk 

never touched a cloud

never fought a giant

never found a golden harp

never saw his mother smile

but you wouldn’t know that from his stories.

  
  


“Once upon a time, there was a tower.” You have to listen.

“What happened to it?”

“It burned down.” You learn all the best songs that way.

“Did anyone ever climb it?”

“No one ever tried.” You sang for years.

“What was at the top?

“A girl.” You know the lines well.

“What was her name?”

“Is that important?” Yes.

  
  


Cinderella is going to go to the ball

a pure white gown

gossamer hair that falls long

men in waiting from mice

pumpkin carriage drawn by snowy horses

glass slippers

and a warning

  
  


Jack came for: Jack couldn’t care less for:

food princes

money women

stories that one lute player

sounds so morose

where did she even learn to

Sing

  
  
  


“She’s so beautiful!” Gasps draw your eyes

“She’s radiant!” Like the sun

“Look at her!” You recognize 

“The prince, the prince!” A bird no longer caged

  
  


Cinderella dances with the prince

Cinderella falls in love with the prince

Cinderella is free

and a warning

Cinderella is on the steps

with a glass slipper fallen behind

The prince says, “Stop!”

And Cinderella

listens.

At midnight

with hair short and messy

with a skirt stained black

with hope and love and a smile

The prince

turns away.

Once upon a time

There was a fire.

And they say it swallowed entire castles whole.

And they say it took everything away.

And they say there was a monster who lit it.

And they say to ask Jack

He was there

But he won’t tell you about a monster

  
  


“You can never go back now.” You go into the fire

“I know.” Unburnt, as ever

“Was there nothing you left behind?” You remember smoke

“Nothing. No one. Just ashes.” When you walked away

“We could leave together, then, just the two of us.” And the desolation

“What’s your name?” Was beautiful

“Rapunzel.” And long-coming

And you will live happily ever after.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> let's play spot the magnus archives reference


End file.
